A Girl's Guide to Vampires: The Dark Ones, Book 1

Joy Randall's Top-five tips for vampire hunters: Location, location, location. Vampires won't be caught dead (ha!) in places like discos, 10-minute lube shops, or Switzerland. Remember, if you wouldn't be there, neither would a bloodsucker. Trust your eyes. You know the handsome, annoyingly arrogant, self-assured man in the shadows with long hair and a cleft in his chin? He's your vampire. No matter how tempting it might be, do not "accidentally" acquire a paper cut on your finger and suggest your vampire kiss it to make it better....

Maybe it was Katie's first "stab" at writing

Smarmy lead guy with antiquated language "Baby" this and "Baby" that. Really idiotic leading female whom all the men in the story inexplicably fall h..Show More »ead over heels for. One lonely vampire almost as an after-thought? This is a Vampire story. Where are the sexy Dark Ones?

This book is nowhere near the level of the books later in the Dark Ones series. I really enjoy Katie MacAlister. I think her writing is irreverent and down right laugh out loud funny. Maybe this book was written before she really developed her style.

If you've never read the Dark Ones before, start with a newer one. (I started with Zen and the Art of Vampire, because that was what Audible had before the first three were re-issued.) Then come back and get the first ones just so you can find out how some of the characters end up with their beloveds.

Sex and the Single Vampire

It's not easy finding love when you're nine hundred years old . . . And undead Romance novelist Christian Dante is sexy and arrogant, a true alpha male. He's also a Dark One (aka vampire), doomed to spend eternity cruising the singles scene in search of the one woman who can redeem his soul. But finally he's found the love that Fate has chosen for him. Too bad she sees dead people and likes to play with demons.

Not at all like her previous works!

While some of the diminishing appeal of her recent works can be due to a lesser narrators, though Ms Campbell is not as near as incompetent as Ms Hube..Show More »r who read Sex. Lies and Vampires, it seems to this listener that the refreshing, witty, detailed, writing of Ms MacAlister has become formulaic. Vampire needs girl; Vampire gets girl; girl saves Vampire.

Having devoured all of her Dragon Series, and the few Vampire books Audible had available prior to the recent releases, I was ready for some of what I had previously enjoyed. This was not my experience. It would be an acceptable first attempt at fantasy writing, but to a seasoned writer like Katie MacAlister it is half-hearted prose.

This is Katie-Light and NOT what one who has loved all of her previous works expected. She has descended to the level of Laurel Hamilton which is a great plummet.

Sex, Lies, and Vampires

Are you responsible for lifting a centuries-old curse from the sexiest vampire you’ve ever seen? Does a demon lord want to destroy you? Have you somehow inadvertently bound several mummies to your soul? Are you the last hope for a lost little boy? If you’ve answered “yes” to any of the above . . . you’re in big trouble! Those are a few of the problems facing Nell Harris, a real charmer - no, really . . . a real Charmer - once she hooks up with Adrian Tomas. A devastatingly hot Dark One who’s earned the unfortunate title “the Betrayer” for selling out his own kind to a very nasty demon, Adrian needs Nell in the worst way.

Laugh out loud fun

This one of my favorite Dark Ones books, it's funny, full of action and impossible situations

Even Vampires Get the Blues: Dark Ones Series, Book 4

Paen Scott is a Dark One: a vampire without a soul. And his mother is about to lose hers too if Paen can't repay a debt to a demon by finding a relic known as the Jilin God in five days. Half-elf Samantha Cosse may have gotten kicked out of the Order of Diviners, but she's still good at finding things, which is why she just opened her own private investigation agency. Paen is one of Sam's first clients and the only one to set her elf senses tingling, which makes it pretty much impossible to keep their relationship on a professional level.

The Last of the Red-Hot Vampires: Dark Ones Series, Book 5

Physicist Portia Harding's life is grounded in facts. There's nothing that can't be explained by logic and science. Until she travels with her best friend to England - and accidentally summons an ethereal Virtue who bequeaths her gift of weather control to Portia.... Now Portia's walking around with a literal cloud over her head - and a heart - stopping handsome maniac trying to kidnap her. But Theondre North is no run-of-the-mill maniac. He's a nephilim - the son of a fallen angel - who needs Portia's help to change his fate.

Fantasy with Laughs

I needed humor and this book came through. I am not a true paranormal or fantasy fan, but this one was creative and had lots of simple uncomplicated l..Show More »aughs.

Zen and the Art of Vampires: A Dark Ones Novel, Book 6

While on a singles tour of Europe, Seattle's own Pia Thomason is looking for a man and trying not to think about her 40th birthday. Too bad her choice of suitors is less than appealing. But when she meets two mysterious strangers in Iceland, Pia becomes immersed in an undead love affair.

Narrator did excellent, with what was presented.

First, I must admit I am reading/listening to these books out of order. I'm not sure if it's because of this or because I have recently read/listened ..Show More »to some very good books, but this story was just completely lacking. It left me feeling entirely lost and wondering if I had purchased only half a book. It leads up to the point where they will begin their relationship (which I knew because I read them bass akwards) but then stops, before they even GET together! The story itself seemed to have an excellent concept, but horrible execution. The main character acts like an airhead the entire book and, quite honestly is an idiot. I've, thankfully only ever met one person that reminded me of Pia, or else I'd probably have gone insane. It's the kind of person that you ask to do something, Tell to do something, then figure 'screw it' and do it yourself. Though, I must admit the main bad guy I didn't realize would be who it was, however the end of the book Really doesn't tie that end up either. I'm left feeling as though I'm holding a bunch of loose ends, and that that's how the author wanted, so that we'd buy her next book in the series. I'm normally alright with cliff-hangers, but by darned it, at least bring the main character and her mate together in the book that's about Them. With that I think I'm done with my rant. Pick another book, even though the narrator tried, and I really did like how she did the voices (though Pia took a little getting used to) I enjoyed being able to tell who was who by the voice she put to them alone. That, sometimes is rare with narrators.

Crouching Vampire, Hidden Fang: A Dark Ones Novel, Book 7

Humor and romance mix delightfully in Katie MacAlister’s New York Times best-selling novels. In this installment of the Dark Ones series, Pia is discovering that wedded bliss with a vampire is a very elusive proposition. With her hubby not trusting her, and his best friend missing, Pia finds solace in her plain old Seattle life. But that all changes when she and Kristoff are falsely implicated in crimes against vampire-kind.

Good Fun

I NEED every Katie Macalister book every written on Audio, narrated by Barbara Rosenblat Please : )

In the Company of Vampires: A Dark Ones Novel, Book 8

Katie MacAlister’s sultry paranormal romances zip to the top of best-seller lists across the globe. Here, Francesca Ghetti returns to GothFaire in order to deal with her latest problem, Loki - the Norse god of mischief. However, Fran is surprised to once again encounter her ex, the vampire Benedikt, who just happens to have his new girlfriend on his arm. And that’s just the beginning, as Vikings, shapeshifters, and rabid opera fans soon work their way into her life.

Much Ado About Vampires: A Dark Ones Novel

Katie MacAlister’s sultry paranormal romances zip to the top of best-seller lists across the globe. Here, Corazon Ferreira discovers she was the mate of a gorgeous vampire in a previous life. But despite the lingering attraction Corazon feels, the image of the vampire killing a victim just won’t leave her mind. Only when her life depends on him does she finally decide to ignore her head and listen to her heart.

Fun Read, but the series is getting tired

This has all the ingredients you've come to expect in a Katie MacAlister Novel....funny dialogue, flawed heroines and wacky plots. I've read all the ..Show More »Dark Ones Novels and some are great and others not so much. This one falls somewhere in the middle for me. Katie MacAlister used to be an automatic download for me, but now I fear her books/series are getting a little old. They are no longer fresh and exciting. That being said, I still enjoyed this book but it just wasn't one of my favorites.

A Tale of Two Vampires

Iolanthe Tennyson has had a very bad year—due in part to the very bad men in her life. So she’s accepted her cousin’s invitation to spend the summer in Austria to indulge her photography hobby. Rumors of a haunted forest there draw Iolanthe into the dark woods—and into the 18th century.... Nikola Czerny is a cursed man, forced by his half brothers to live forever as a Dark One. But his miserable existence takes an intriguing turn when a strange, babbling woman is thrown in his path.

More of a Carry On Vamp than Interview With A Vamp

You would think, looking at the cover and reading the summary of the book, that this is going to be the usual 'hot 'n heavy' vamp tale - but you'd be ..Show More »sooo wrong.

It's not a dark tale but it is a well written fun filled plot about timetravel with curses, ghosts, double-crossing, lies, great entertaining characters, lots of humour and funny situations. The couple often talk to each other mind to mind with quick witted quips usually about sex but if you took out the mild sex talk and innuendos which occasionally led to the real thing (usually quick and not very descriptive) then this could have been a YA listen.

I had, in a moment of madness or during a sale, downloaded all her Dark Ones books and I've started with this one not realising it's actually book 10 but it could have been a stand alone listen and I will, in time, listen to the rest but more as a break from my normal books as I like the dark, brooding mysterious vamps like the infamous BDBrotherhood.

Worth a credit? Lots of fun, a light listen and very entertaining so Yes, but if I hadn't already of downloaded the rest then I wouldn't continue with the series - not because their bad books or badly written - but because their just a bit too 'light' for me.